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Before I deep-dive into your trip, let me say a few words about the trip arrangement. Firstly, how did we choose Bhutan? I’ve been to Nepal before and heard about Bhutan being an Asian Switzerland, so visiting this country was on my list a long time ago.

Secondly, we did not plan much, the travel agency did everything for us. We expressed our interest and the itinerary was adjusted based on our tastes. In addition, the itinerary was customized even more during the trip according to our desires. The guide was very attentive and helpful.

Lastly, our package included everything—three meals a day, a hotel, flight tickets, etc. We brought some money but barely spent any. Our main expenses were a few alcoholic drinks, which aren’t included, souvenirs, and generous tips for our amazing guide and driver.

I want to say a big thank you to Breathe Bhutan and personally to Sonam and Kuenga for our fantastic time in Bhutan!

Links to the next parts

• Bhutan, Day 1: Arrival
• Bhutan, Day 2: Thimphu City and Fertility temple
• Bhutan, Day 4: Phobjikha valley
• Bhutan, Day 5: Festival in the Phunaka fortress
• Bhutan, Day 6: Tiger Nest hike

The third day started with a hearty breakfast with this breathtaking view:

A hike to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chörten

After breakfast, we proceeded to our first semi-serious hike. All these hikes, actually, well-prepared us for the final challenge - a hike to the Tiger Nest Monastery. The hike started at one of the rafting boarding points, so we had a chance to have a look at local river rapids.

The beginning of the trail went through scenic local fields full of crops and vegetables. After the first 5-10-minute hike, we started meeting cattle and also had a unique chance to oversee the whole valley from the top.

The hike was quite straightforward (very similar to a Bukit Timah hill in Singapore), and we managed to reach the temple in around 30-40 minutes. At the end of the hike, we were greeted by a very friendly dog who welcomed us to Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chörten.

The temple is very similar to the rest of Bhutanese temples. The main difference is the 3-floor structure, which is rather unusual. The last floor had a breathtaking view of the whole valley, so I had a chance to use my binoculars extensively.

Suspension bridge, local food, and archery match

Bhutan’s national game isn’t football or cricket, but rather unusual archery. On the way to the temple, we saw a match between two teams and asked our guide to have a short stop on the way back. The guide explained to us that it’s a friendly competition between teams from two districts. The distance between aims is around 40 meters, and competitors are allowed to use only traditional bows. Thus, it’s an extremely challenging task to hit a target. But not for Bhutanese, we’ve been on the field for around 10 minutes and saw the target being hit twice. Each hit is usually followed by a dance from teammates to celebrate the hit.

After the completion, we went to see the longest suspension bridge in the country. The bridge is about 100 meters long and gives a visitor a fantastic view of the mountain river. The water is crystal clear and you can see schools of fish.

At the end of the bridge, we had lunch in a local restaurant where I tried butter tea. To be frank, that’s not a drink for everyone. No surprises, it tastes like somebody put a slab of butter in tea. I managed to finish only a third of the cup. The rest of the dishes were quite usual - chili cheese, rice mandu, etc.

Punakha Dzong

After lunch, we went to the main attraction of the town - Punakha Dzong. It’s an ancient fortress and is currently used by both administration and monks. According to a legend, the fortress was erected in a year with the help of a local deity as all construction materials were brought by river.

A tiny island, where the fortress is based, is connected to the mainland by an elegant, beautiful bridge. It was possible to peek through the edge of a bridge to see the river flow, but no fishermen. When I did it, I saw a myriad of fish in the crystal clear water. Later our driver shared with us that it’s prohibited to catch fish here, but some people still do that.

The Dzong’s area, which is open to the public, consists of three yards. The first, largest, yard belongs to a region’s administration. The center of the yard is decorated by an astonishing, fantastic tree, which almost hugs the yard with its tall crowns. We also saw a couple of gentlemen rehearsing some dance, and our guide explained to us that it was a preparation for an upcoming festival. In a couple of days, we’ll be able to witness this event.

The other two yards belong to a central religious body of the country - a central monk body. We didn’t spend much time at the second yard as it’s only possible to see a facade of an ex-defense tower, which has been repurposed for religious purposes. The last yard has another monastery. The monastery is unique due to the inside painting that reflects all stages of Buddha’s life. I probably, spent at least an hour there learning about the Buddha life, a completely missed piece of knowledge in my education. Lastly, we had a chance to witness a praying ceremony performed by monks.

I thought it was our last visit to the Dzong, but I was wrong and we returned here just a day after the next day for the festival. As the day before, the day ended with a delicious dinner at our homestay.